Friday, Oct 21 2011 10:41AM
Solar panel projects in California could boost the state's rural economy.
According to a report by the San Diego Union-Tribune, a considerable number of solar energy projects in Imperial County, California, could help reduce the county's high unemployment rate.
Armando Villa, director of Imperial County Planning and Development Services, told the newspaper there are more than 30 proposals for extensive photovoltaic solar projects in the rural county.
Villa states the projects would create enough energy to supply 1.2 million homes in coastal California and could lead to a substantial number of employment opportunities for jobless residents of the county.
Esmael Adibi, an economist and professor at Chapman University in Orange County, told the paper that without solar projects in Imperial County, economic growth in the region would sputter.
Electric grid construction in rural areas of the nation could also lead to many jobs for unemployed residents nationwide. The U.S. Department of Agriculture has announced more than $2 billion will be supplied to rural communities for grid development and expansion.
For further reference, check out these sources:
San Diego Union-Tribune,
U.S. Department of Agriculture